11. Betrayed Bond
11
Betrayed Bond
T ristan called his dad and informed him of Brandon’s attempt to blackmail Alexa. When Dr. Knight asked him how he knew Alexa Ford, Tristan dismissed him saying it was a story for another time. But Alexa didn’t miss the pink in his cheeks.
They were going to the local police department to report Brandon, and Tristan thought it was best if they used the connections his dad had, to get the case moved on fast. Dr. Knight was shocked to hear this and agreed to call the department ahead of them.
After the delicious lunch and pudding Valero served them, Alexa got in the car with Tristan and rode out of the driveway. Valero rode next to them in his old yellow Ferrari to his home after his duty for the day.
Once they parted ways with him, Alexa turned to Tristan. “Does Valero know about your… supernaturalism?”
“Not even a hint.” Tristan shook his head, eyes fixed on the road. “But our housekeeper, Mercy, knows about my curse. She’s been working for my family since I was born, so yeah, she knows. Though, not about my powers. Only my dad, his favorite sister and family, and my godfather know about it.”
“And now me.” Alexa watched Tristan’s face for his reaction.
True to her expectation, he smiled and spared her a glance. “And now you.” Then, he added, “Soon, your sister too.”
Alexa turned away with her own smile and leaned back in her seat. “Why haven’t you told the rest of your family about it?”
“No reason in particular.” Tristan shrugged. “I simply asked my dad to convey it only to the people I was comfortable with. My aunt is the family I’m closest to, so he told them and spared my supernaturalism from the rest.”
Alexa hummed in understanding.
“Do you have cousins?”
“Oh, yes. A lot.” She smiled fondly. “But since we’re far away from them, we’re not that close. Though, I love them.”
“I love mine, too,” Tristan said with an equally fond smile. “My younger sisters—my aunt’s daughters—especially. They’re my favorite.”
“Aw,” Alexa cooed. “I love brother-sister dynamics.”
“They remind me of my own sister, how it would’ve been if she were here. ”
Alexa’s heart wrenched at his words. “I’m so sorry about that. How old she would’ve been if she were here?”
Despite the agony, an affectionate smile tugged at Tristan’s lips. “Eighteen.”
Alexa sighed heavily. She couldn’t imagine the pain and desperation she’d feel if she had lost a sibling before birth. All the what ifs would’ve driven her mad. She had to give it to him; amidst the tragedies in his life, Tristan had come out as a stronger person than he knew it.
“A year older than me,” she murmured, staring out the windshield.
Tristan hummed in response.
“How old are you?” She turned to him with her question.
Tristan spared her a glance and opened his mouth, to answer probably, but shut it. Then, a mischievous glint lit his eyes. “What do you think?”
Alexa shot him a really look. “Early twenties?”
“Do I look like I’m in my late twenties?” He rolled his eyes with a smile.
Alexa rolled her eyes as well. “That’s why I said early twenties, silly.”
“Early twenties is not a certain number.”
“No, it’s not.” She shrugged casually.
“And you’re satisfied knowing I’m in my early twenties? Don’t wanna know the exact age?”
Alexa shrugged again, feigning casualty, suppressing a smile. If he was trying to get past the solemnity the topic of his unborn sister brought him—she felt he was—she might as well play this enjoyably for him. And driving him insane was the best way.
“Oh, really?” He chuckled, incredulous. “What if I’m twenty-three?”
“So what if you are twenty-three?” she asked back, meeting the occasional glances he cast her.
“What if I’m too old for you? You’re only seventeen.”
“So, what if you are? I can’t hang out with you?”
Tristan shrugged. “Well… six years is a pretty long age gap.”
“I’m sure you’re not that old. You don’t look like it.”
“What if I am?”
Alexa was silent for a moment, her mirth subsiding as she thought for a moment. “Friendship has no age, and age is just a number.”
Tristan gave her an impressed look, his turn to suppress a smile.
“Are you going to tell me or not?”
“You’re giving up already?” He chuckled. “There are only four numbers in the early twenties range, and you’re giving up without guessing at least one of them?”
“Fine.” She rolled her eyes sarcastically. “Twenty-one.”
Tristan turned to her with surprise. “How correct.”
Alexa shot him a smug smile.
Tristan parked his car outside the police department, and they went inside, meeting with the deputy who knew Dr. Knight. Alexa sat down with him and told him her case and gave him proof against Brandon. Once it was done and she was promised an immediate action on him, Alexa and Tristan exited the building.
They got back in the car and Tristan drove her to the café where she worked as a barista, promising to pick her up when her shift was over.
Cassie’s flight landed an hour later, and she texted Alexa saying she couldn’t wait to see her.
Alexa couldn’t wait to see her sister too; to squeeze her in a hug and then rummage through her bag to see what she had brought back from Orlando for her. Work was as enjoyable as always, and when she stepped out of the café, she was both excited and anxious.
She found Tristan outside, waiting for her, and a smile flitted across her face.
“I could’ve made you a latte or whatever you prefer if you had come inside instead of standing here,” she said as she approached him.
Tristan grinned back, and her heart flipped at the sight of it. That was one dazzling smile; a big, genuine one. One she hadn’t seen until now. He looked… content . Her heart warmed at the realization.
“Next time, perhaps?”
Alexa composed herself from staring. “You mean tomorrow?”
“Exactly.” He held out a hand. “Come on.”
“Where is your car?” It felt odd to address her car, former or not, as his; especially after having seen it today and ridden in it. She looked around the busy street and didn’t find a glimpse of the black SUV.
“I didn’t bring the car.” Tristan walked them through the sidewalk as soon as she accepted his hand. “But don’t worry, I’ve got your bag.” He showed her the bag in his other hand.
“So are we gonna…” Alexa leaned close and whispered, “ Teleport to my front porch?” She couldn’t keep the smile off her face.
Tristan threw her a teasing glance. “You sound so excited.”
Alexa laughed. “I know it’s old news to you, but I’m new at this, so give me some—” she cut short as her gaze flickered to the school girls they passed by. They were staring after Tristan with wide-eyes and open mouths; some even looked like they couldn’t breathe. “You have an audience lining the street.”
“Old news.” Tristan winked at her.
Alexa rolled her eyes with a smile. “I thought so. If any of those girls get a heart attack, you know you’re responsible, right?”
“There’s only one girl I’m responsible for, actually.”
Alexa’s heart fluttered against her will and she pushed aside the feeling. “Do you always go for a walk like this and cause heartache for girls?”
Tristan snorted a laugh. “I assure you, I have no such reputation. I’m sure those girls are seeing me for the first time. Even if they have seen me while I drive through the town once or twice a year, they’ve likely forgotten now.”
It was Alexa’s turn to snort. “Yours is a face hard to forget though,” she mumbled under her breath, remembering the first time she saw him at church and how he had filled her mind and dreams since.
Peering at his face through the corner of her eyes, she saw him trying to suppress a smile.
Supernatural hearing. Alexa groaned inwardly.
Not wanting him to get ideas with her response, she changed the matter. “So, where are we going now?”
“To a secluded area where we can teleport from.”
“I… don’t think I know one anywhere here.” Alexa looked their left and right. The town square was always packed in the evenings .
“I’ve already found one.”
He pressed them onward, and when they passed the secluded go-down of a small hotel’s corner, Alexa tugged him to a stop.
“How about there?”
“They’ve got a camera.” He spared her a glance.
“You detected it?” She couldn’t hide her surprise.
“Every electronic thing, remember?”
They passed a coffeehouse and Tristan tugged them to the side of the building where the path led like an alleyway to the back.
“So, no security camera here?”
“Nope. But we have to hurry.” Tristan glanced back to the sidewalk they had come from; people passed, but no one bothered to look into the alley. He turned to her. “Ready?”
Alexa nodded and stepped close. He put an arm around her and held her securely against him. Then he teleported. Gravity vanished and restored beneath them faster than one could bat an eye.
Alexa stepped back and looked around her, slightly baffled where they had landed. All too soon, she realized they were on the side of her house. She didn’t realize the sudden change of scenery would baffle her so much as to not realize a portion of her own house.
“I avoided the porch on purpose, in case someone was passing by the road or was looking, or that we were to pop right in front of your sister and scare the life out of her.”
Alexa spluttered a laugh at his words. “You’re right.” A clever choice. “So, you can teleport to any part of a place you want? ”
“If I have a picture of it in my mind, yes,” Tristan explained as they walked to the front. “When I teleported to the farthest corner of Oregon, I had a picture of it in my mind from the internet.”
They climbed the porch, and Alexa pushed open the door as silently as she could. She tiptoed inside, determined to befall her sister as a surprise, and gestured to Tristan to follow.
He seemed to have been watching her movements with a small smile, but shook his head at her invitation. “Perhaps next time. You and your sister have a lot of catching up to do.”
“Yes, and my sister will make my ears ring if she learns you were at our doorstep and left without giving her a chance to meet the mysterious Tristan from my stories. Please?”
“Really?” His eyebrows rose in amusement.
“Do you have somewhere else to be?” She tilted her head in question.
“No—”
“Then you’re not leaving without braving a meeting with my sister, Lightning Knight.” She grabbed his arm and pulled him inside.
“If you insist.” Tristan chuckled.
Alexa released him and closed the door, only to freeze at the sight of a familiar jacket on the hook next to Cassie’s.
She grinded her teeth and turned to Tristan. “He’s here.”
Tristan’s gaze flickered to the jacket and darkened over. “That guy has a death wish.”
“If he’s begging to be exposed for his crimes, so be it.” Blood boiling in her veins, Alexa stomped toward the kitchen.
“And I’ll handle him invisibly if he dares cross the line with either of you.”
Alexa paused and whirled around, her face nearing slamming into Tristan’s collarbones. He grabbed her arms and steadied her before they collided.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “You stay visible . You promised.”
“Yes, but I also said if the situation occurred—”
“ This is not that situation,” she cut him off and gently said, “I need you at my side, visible. ”
Before she even realized it, he had become her solace. How was that possible? Their proper meeting had been just yesterday.
Had a heart to heart conversation already changed so much between them in the last twenty-four hours?
Tristan’s eyes softened. “Lead the way.”
She offered him a small smile before turning and walking toward the kitchen. Cassie’s giggles floated through the air as they neared, followed by Brandon’s deep laugh. Alexa’s skin crawled at the sound of it.
If he is kissing my sister… Alexa clenched her fists and quickened her pace. She entered the kitchen, and the scenario that greeted her was close to what she expected.
Brandon had Cassie’s back pressed against the counter and he was just about to close the distance between their lips.
How. Dare. He.
“Get away from my sister, you snake!”
Cassie and Brandon jumped apart and snapped their heads to Alexa. Cassie’s eyes lit up. “Lex!” She pushed away from Brandon and hurried across the kitchen to her.
Alexa met her halfway and fell into her open arms, burying her face in her shoulder as a sudden rush of tears filled her eyes. Her fury toward Brandon melted away as Cassie squeezed her in her embrace. Alexa squeezed back; she had missed her sister so much.
“Oh, baby. I’ve missed you so much!” Cassie pulled back to look at her with a contagious grin.
“I’m sure you told each other that every day in the last three days.” Brandon laughed, and Alexa snapped her gaze to him and saw him leaning against the counter with folded arms. When their gazes met, she glared, and he smirked smugly, almost challengingly.
Challenge accepted.
“Are you guys alright?” Cassie’s gaze bounced back and forth between them, a nervous laugh escaping her. “I think I heard you call him—”
“What is he doing here?”
Brandon narrowed his eyes at the doorway, dropping his arms and standing straight. Alexa followed his gaze and saw Tristan leaning against the doorframe with hands in his pocket, looking as intimidating as he had that morning. He wasn’t glaring back, but the look in his eyes was as sharp as a sword’s edge, almost deadly.
“It’s not your place to ask,” Alexa said, turning back to Brandon with a lift of her chin. Tristan’s presence was her solace, and her confidence.
“Is that Tristan?” Cassie whispered to her, her eyes wide with surprise as she regarded him. “You didn’t tell me you were bringing him.” She complained.
“I was with him all day.”
“You didn’t go to school?” At Cassie’s question, she shook her head. “Why?”
“Because of him.” Alexa’s eyes flared at Brandon.
“What?” Brandon feigned innocence, widening his eyes. How pathetic.
“He’s a fraud, sissy!” Alexa blurted out. “He has been deceiving you all this time. He blackmailed me on the day you left, that if I didn’t give him what he wanted, he would release your certain pictures all over social media and ruin your reputation!”
“What?” Cassie whispered, her gaze moving from Alexa to Tristan to Brandon, and back to Alexa.
“That’s not just it. Do you wanna hear what he nearly made me do yesterday? I went to the secluded bridge to take away my life; because it was either my surrender to him or ruining your reputation. I’m so sorry I almost believed it when he claimed he has your pictures, that he has a camera in your bathroom—”
“ What? ” Cassie gasped aloud and turned to her so-called boyfriend, betrayal and disbelief flashing in her eyes. Brandon avoided meeting her eyes and fixed his gaze on Alexa with an unreadable expression.
Alexa continued, “But it has all been a sham to get what he wanted, because he knew I would do anything for my sister in a heartbeat, especially when your reputation is at risk. He used my love for you as his advantage; he used a ruse of your pictures to threaten me.”
“Oh, and what makes you think it’s fake?” Brandon scoffed, his handsome face twisted with challenge and smugness.
“I made sure of it,” Tristan said, his voice ringing with power.
Brandon snorted, his eyes mocking. “Oh, did you, boy? ”
“Don’t underestimate him, Brandon. You’ve lost.”
Brandon turned his mocking eyes to Alexa. He smirked. “Does your sister know why I blackmailed you? I’m sure she deserves to know the reason.” He locked eyes with Cassie who hadn’t taken her eyes off him the entire time.
Alexa’s anger burned. Before she realized, she began speaking. “You’re a fraud, Brandon. A scammer, a blackguard, cheap, and good for nothing. My sister deserves someone man enough to honor her and love her; you’re not a man, you just look like one.”
Brandon’s eyes flared for a moment before he composed himself and smirked. “I thank you for the compliment, Alexa. Still, your sister deserves an explanation.” His eyes turned to Cassie again, his expression unwavering. “I never loved you. Everything I have ever said to you was fake. I had to fake it; I had to keep faking my love for you because it was the only way I could stay close to your sister. You’re a good person Cassie, but the girl I’ve always wanted was your sister, even though I knew she’d never see me the way I do her and that she had a possessive wretch of a boyfriend. With him out of the way and you leaving me as her temporary guardian, it was my time to see if she felt the same for me.
“But no,” he said with a laugh. “Ever the loyal sister that your precious little Alexa is, she only ever saw me as a brother. Her rejection enraged me even though I had been prepared for it, so I blackmailed her, using the only weapon that would surrender her—her love for you. I have always admired the bond you two shared, but I never thought how advantageous it would make. Well, nearly advantageous. I wanted her to fulfill my desires if it’s the only thing I could get from her. But she found the loophole and somehow figured out my scheme.”
He cast a pointed glance at Alexa.
The room was so thick with tension that one could cut it with a knife. When the silence began to feel almost deafening despite the muffled noises from the neighborhood, Cassie’s voice shattered it.
“Get out.”
Brandon chuckled, holding her gaze.
“If I ever see you again or around my sister, I’ll call the police.” She was barely holding herself together. Alexa could see her breaking into pieces inside. She wanted to hold her sister badly, but any such act would cause Cassie to lose her fragile guard in front of Brandon. Neither of them wanted that.
“You heard her.”
Alexa turned to Tristan and saw him pinning Brandon with a death glare. His jaw was clenched, and his features sharpened by the effect.
“Oh, will you make me otherwise?”
Brandon’s response grated on Alexa like sandpaper and she wanted to throw something at him with a powerful blow. She wondered how Tristan was doing this, maintaining his composure.
“Absolutely.” Tristan shrugged his shoulders casually, as though he was agreeing to play a game with him.
Brandon eyed him warily. “Who do you think you are, huh?”
“You wanna know?” Alexa asked him before Tristan could respond. “I’ll enlighten you. He’s the reason I’m not a dead body found under the secluded bridge and you’re standing here instead of behind bars in shackles.”
Cassie pivoted to her with horrified eyes. “What?”
Her sister probably missed it when she mentioned it earlier. Alexa took a deep breath and recounted the incident.
“ He, ” she said, jerking her chin at Brandon. “Gave me a deadline to surrender; today was it. Since he made me believe he has those pictures, I couldn’t imagine what would happen to you if he released it, because I was not going to bend to his will. I couldn’t tell you or anyone, couldn’t call the authorities, couldn’t do anything . He threatened me not to. My only option was taking my life; if the last thing I did was sparing you from such misery, it was what I wanted to do. If I lived and didn’t surrender to him, your life would be ruined; but if I died, not only would you be spared, he would be behind bars too. I was too blind to realize that my death would only bring you lifetime misery, because the moment the thought of dying crossed my mind it was all I could think of. This happened after I returned from church yesterday. I left you and Daph and John letters in my diary and drove to the bridge in your car.
“I didn’t want to do it, I couldn’t do it, but I had to; at least that’s what my thoughts told me. I listened to it, convinced myself I was doing the right thing even as I talked with you on the way. I parked your car down the bridge and threw the key underneath so it wouldn’t fall into the wrong hands; I had mentioned I’d do so in my letter for you. Then, I went to the bridge and climbed over the rails.”
Alexa squeezed her eyes shut and released a stream of tears, undeterred by Brandon’s presence. “But Tristan pulled me back to life,” she whispered, turning to Tristan.
His eyes were unreadable as their gazes locked. She turned back to Brandon. “Do you have your answer now?”
Brandon’s eyes smoldered, bouncing between her and Tristan. “So it was him who attacked me last night.”
Alexa’s breath hitched in her throat, and an urge to defend Tristan and keep his secret safe rose in her. “I have no idea what you are talking about.” She lifted her chin indifferently.
“Oh, stop acting. That day in the kitchen, right here in fact, he attacked me then too.” Brandon sneered, his gaze narrowed with suspicion. “Those two times, he has been defending you from me.”
“Oh, that. It was our dad’s ghost.” At Brandon’s incredulous look, she continued, half-mockingly. “Don’t believe in ghosts? Right, you don’t. Unfortunately, for you, they exist, and our dad’s ghost is acting as our guardian. If you try to harm either of us again, you can only imagine what he’s got in store for you.”
“You’re mental.” Brandon shook his head, bewildered.
“Well, you’re the one who said you were attacked, all the while there hasn’t been a third person in the house.” Alexa challenged him to deny it.
“I’m gonna report it.”
Alexa snorted. “Do you really think anyone will believe you? You’re the self-proclaimed victim of an invisible attack, and what proof do you have? They would certainly throw you in a mental hospital. Perhaps, it will serve you right.”
When he opened his mouth to retort, Cassie snapped, “ Get out of my house!”
Brandon schooled his features and shot her a wry grin. “Was about to,” he said and walked out of the kitchen, sparing Alexa a disgusted look and Tristan a glare as he passed him by the doorway.
Cassie sank into one of the chairs of the dining table instantly, clutching her chest, her face contorted in pain. She was on the verge of breaking down. Alexa’s heart broke at the sight and hugged her immediately.
That was all it took for Cassie’s walls to crumble. A devastating cry tore from her and she sobbed into Alexa’s chest, her body shaking violently. Alexa cradled her sister against her and rested her head on top of Cassie’s, tears running down her own eyes.
She sniffed and stole a glance at Tristan over her shoulder in time to catch him turning to walk away. He caught her teary gaze and his eyes softened. He gestured outside, either saying he’d be outside or that he was going to make sure Brandon left—or both. She gave him a short nod and watched him leave.
“Why is our life so messed up?” Cassie’s hiccupping, broken voice crushed Alexa’s soul.
She mulled over the question. “I don’t know,” she whispered, tightening her firm but comforting hold around her sister. “But I do know one thing; no matter what happens, I will never leave you.”
“You almost did,” Cassie said accusingly, as accusing as she could between her sobbing, just before it increased.
“But I’m here,” she countered firmly, despite how her own voice shook. “And I’ll never leave you. You’ll always have me even if the whole world leaves us alone. I promise you, Cass. ”
Cassie didn’t respond verbally, but her hands that clutched on Alexa’s jacket spoke volumes. They stayed like that for long, until Cassie’s cries calmed down. She slowly pulled back from Alexa and reached for a tissue from the table, blowing her nose and wiping her face with it.
“I’m going to my room.” Cassie sniffed and rose from the chair.
Alexa dropped her hand and nodded in understanding, stepping back. “Sure. I’ll bring you dinner when it’s time.”
“I don’t think I’ll be able to eat.” Cassie shook her head, looking away to the side and hugging herself. “My stomach feels full of betrayal and hatred.”
“Cassie…” Alexa’s lips quivered, and her next words barely made it out. “I’m so sorry.”
Cassie met her gaze. “For nearly killing yourself? It will take more than a sorry to earn my forgiveness. You have no idea—” Her voice broke and she sniffed before continuing, “If Tristan hadn’t…” She shook her head and looked away again, as though she couldn’t bear thinking about it.
Alexa pulled her into another hug. “I will make it up to you, I promise.”
Cassie refused to return the hug. “Sacrificing yourself is not how you show someone you love them, but being with them in every step of their life and overcoming the obstacles together.” The ire in her voice melted. “What is life if you’re not in it?”
Oh, how selfish she had truly been yesterday! Selfish, coward, and stupid. Her sister loved her unconditionally.
“You won’t have to find out. ”
“Do you promise?”
“Yes.”
They pulled away a moment later. “I need to—”
“Yeah, I know,” Alexa cut her off. “Let me walk with you.” When Cassie opened her mouth, whether to protest or agree, she added, “Please?”
Cassie sighed in defeat and nodded. Alexa linked their arms and walked her upstairs. Cassie entered her room and turned to her holding the door. “Sorry about that,” she said, pointing to Alexa’s t-shirt wet with her tears.
“Oh, don’t bother.” Alexa gave her a small smile. “I’ll just go and change.”
“Can you apologize to Tristan on my behalf for not—”
“I will,” Alexa interjected. “He will understand.” He was probably listening to this right now.
Cassie nodded and closed the door. Alexa inhaled deeply. She went to her room to change her t-shirt and wash her face before going downstairs. When she opened the front door and stepped out, she found Tristan on the swing.
He stood when he saw her, planting his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “Hey.”
“Hey.” She gave him a small smile, walking to the swing and sitting down.
Tristan sat back next to her. “How is your sister?”
“Broken. It will take time for her to heal.” Alexa sighed, facing forward. “She really loved him, you know?”
“I’m so sorry,” he said ruefully.
“Me, too. I wonder if she’ll ever be the same again. He crushed her.”
“Any broken thing can be mended back, Alexa,” he said, glancing at her. “If it has the right thing to glue back the pieces together. And once it is mended and whole, it can never be broken again.”
Alexa stared at him, the meaning of his words not lost on her. “I’m certain neither I nor my sister are enthusiastic about romantic love anymore—in real life though. In fiction, it has always served as an escape.”
He searched her gaze. “Just because the two of you had the wrong guys in your lives doesn’t mean there’s no right guy out there. In your sister’s case, I believe it’s her best friend John.”
“You know John?” Her eyes widened slightly.
“I may have met one or two people who are really close to you,” he admitted sheepishly.
Alexa arched a teasing eyebrow at him. “When you used to stalk me, you mean?”
“I’d rather go with secret admirer .”
Alexa rolled her eyes sarcastically to hide the effect his words had on her.
“John loves her, I’m almost certain of it,” Tristan continued. “If there’s anything or anyone that can heal her from this particular brokenness, it’s true love.”
Alexa recalled all the times John had been protective over Cassie even when Brandon was around, how he never liked or approved of Brandon. How he would never stay in the same room if Cassie and Brandon were together.
Why hadn’t she realized this before? John loved Cassie, more than just as a best friend.
She had believed that John friend-zoned Cassie. That’s how Cassie let go of her crush on him and ended up with Brandon. If they had worked out then, Brandon would never have been a part of Cassie’s life, and none of this would’ve happened. Cassie wouldn’t have been heartbroken now and Alexa wouldn’t have been blackmailed or driven by despair to try taking her life.
But then, she wouldn’t have met Tristan…
God has everything planned out for you.
The pastor’s words from yesterday’s sermon surged to her mind. Alexa closed her heart against it immediately. God has nothing to do with me so why would He bother planning my life?
She would’ve met Tristan anyway, right? Even if it was not like this, he would’ve still been the mystery guy to her.
But, would he have revealed himself to her if she hadn’t leaped from the bridge and he had to rescue her?
She didn’t know. She wouldn’t know until she’d asked him. And she would, one day.
Because she realized, meeting him had been the outcome of this tragedy.